Their faces keeps appearing in my dreams─as if they're mocking me, blaming me for their deaths.

I'm sorry.

No matter how many times I uttered those words, they keep coming at me. Slowly, their faces became so blurred that I was unable to recognize them anymore.

Look at me, my brothers. I have become a demon for your sake. I have killed lots of people to appease your thirst for vengeance.

Even so, why are these tears keep falling from my eyes?


"There's nothing funny these days! I'm sooooo booooored!"

The Devil stretched his arms, yawned widely. The Water Spirit was picking up flowers from the lakeside to adorn his friend's grave.

"Go look at yourself in the mirror, then."

"Eeeeh?! Why are you so mean?" A loud chuckle came out of the Devil's lungs. "Look, I even brought you these things! A special bouquet! You can't found these flowers here, right? Right?"

"Let me see...whoa, you're right! What are these flowers? I never saw these kinds before!" Choromatsu gasped in awe, stunned by the flowers' beauty.

"This is called 'rose'. That yellow one is called 'sunflower'." The Devil pointed each flowers. "Did you know? Red roses' meaning in flower language is...hey, HEY! What are you doing?!"

Choromatsu took the bouquet, ripped out the flowers and used them to adorn Jyushimatsu's grave. The Devil protested loudly.

"Huh? It's obvious! I'm going to use them for Jyushimatsu's grave!" The Water Spirit confusedly replied. "What's wrong with that?"

"No, no, no! That's completely wrong! Utterly messed up!" The Devil slapped his own forehead. "I bought that bouquet for YOU, not for some other random guy I didn't even know!"

"Oh, just shut up. These flowers belong to me now, so I can use them however I want to."

The Devil watched in annoyance, as Choromatsu adorned Jyushimatsu's grave with said flowers. The Water Spirit joined his hands together, solemnly prayed in silence.

"What's so special about this guy, eh? He's such a nuthead boring kid." The Devil clicked his tongue. "Tch, if it wasn't for the fucking Reaper...maybe I could have some fun with the brat."

"You don't know how I feel, Devil. So shut your damn mouth." Choromatsu hissed. "He's like a brother to me...so it's only natural that I cared so much for him."

The Devil went silent. His red eyes stared far away to the sky.

"...brothers, huh..." He softly spoke. "Now that you mention it, I remember...I used to have five younger brothers."

"Five?! That's amazing! And you're the eldest?" Choromatsu widened his eyes in surprise. "There are five crazy demons like yourself...argh, it hurts my head just to imagine it..."

"Hahaha...you never knew..." The Devil let out a dry laugh. "...it's a long story, and I think you'll be bored to hear it."

"No, actually...I'm kind of interested. Tell me your story."

Choromatsu stared deeply at the Devil's eyes. His clear eyes brought back painful memories from the depths of the Devil's cold, broken heart.


The Eldest Brother was caught. However, he wasn't punished for his crimes. The honor went to his younger brothers instead, who ate all of the stolen goods.

I can endure thousands of lashings and beatings...but...The Eldest Brother whispered bitterly, chained inside a dark and cold cell.

Anything but that...

The Eldest Brother wailed, whined, and sobbed all night long...waiting for the morning he desperately wished never to come. As the light came from the east, he was dragged to the square.

He saw his younger brothers, all lined up and tied. The Second Brother was strangely calm. His eyes were wet, but he faced his death with dignity. As the executioner's axe severed his head, he screamed at the top of his lungs:

Fear not, my brothers! Let us all meet in the Heaven!

The Sixth Brother lost his consciousness at the time he was dragged to the square along with others. The Fifth Brother was already dead, biting his own tongue in fear. The Fourth Brother laughed loudly as he lost his mind. He kept spouting gibberish words and chuckled as the axe hit his head. But the punishment still goes on, leaving the Eldest Brother screaming and crying.

Spare the children, I beg of you! You should have killed me instead!

As for the Third Brother...the Eldest Brother couldn't remember a thing from that point on. His mind was filled with red, red, deep red, deep crimson, fresh red, beautiful red, lovely red...

redredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredred─


Tears began to flow from Choromatsu's eyes. He couldn't contain it any longer, after hearing the Devil's story.

"That's horrible..." The Water Spirit sobbed, wiping his own tears from his face.

"I know, right?" A bitter grin appeared on the Devil's face. "Such is life, my dear! C'est la vie!"

"How can you be so carefree about it?! If it was me...I...I couldn't..."

Abruptly, the Devil cupped Choromatsu's face with his hands. He licked the remaining tears welling up on the Water Spirit's face. His icy breath breezed onto Choromatsu's skin.

"That's why I hate humans so much..." The Devil whispered. "But I don't hate spirits. They're honest, at least. But, those humans...I hate their hypocrisy...building up masks to hide their rotten insides..."

Choromatsu felt the kiss pressed on his lips once again. It was strangely warm. His chest tightened with both pain and pleasure, as the Devil's fingers lightly traced his neck. Gently, the Devil pinned him on the ground, surrounded by beds of flowers.

"What do you want, then?" Choromatsu asked, reaching out for the Devil's pained face with his trembling hands.

The Devil grinned, licking his lips lecherously.

"Bare everything to me. Give everything to me."

Their bodies intertwined, slowly melting into one. Under the sunlight, the lake's water darkened.

"Show me your everything. Even if it's rotten or filthy, I would still love you."

"Really?"

"Really really."


Anything but that...

He screamed, roared, and wailed. But it was for naught. With his back ached from the lashings, he collected his brothers' lifeless bodies and buried them all by himself. Reflecting at the horrible fates of his brothers, he clung himself on their bodies and cried─cried, cried, cried and cried...until his eyes turned red with anger. Red with vengeance.

His once kind and soft heart turned into rotten, vicious heart that only knows violence and depravity.

This world shall feel the same pain that ruined my heart.

He thought, as he hacked a pair of clinging sisters to their deaths.

This world shall pay for what they have done to my brothers.

He thought, as he slammed his axe to an old man's head.

I can only see red. Red, red, deep red, deep crimson, fresh red, beautiful red, lovely red...

redredredredredredredredredredredredredredredredred

killkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkilli'msorrykillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkilli'msorrykillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkill─


The next day, Jyushimatsu visited the lake along with Ichimatsu. With Choromatsu in sight, the Angel rushed to hug the former with full force.

"Choromatsuuuuu!" Jyushimatsu laughed, grabbing the surprised Choromatsu.

Suddenly, Jyushimatsu released his hug from the Water Spirit. His face went pale in horror. "...Choromatsu...? What happened to you?"

Both Ichimatsu and Jyushimatsu took a step back, witnessing the lake changed its color. The once clear water was dyed black, filled with filth and mud. The flowers and trees around the lake withered and dried. Animals from the forest were seen laying dead everywhere.

"Choromatsu...what is this? What are you doing?" Ichimatsu clenched his fists. He gasped in terror after looking at the Water Spirit's eyes.

"I─Ichimatsu...his eyes turned red..." Jyushimatsu tightly grabbed the Reaper's sleeves.

Choromatsu's eyes turned into deep red color, dropping tears of blood from his ruby-eyes. He laughed and danced at the lakeside, spouting nonsensical words.

"Hahahahaha! I am loved! I am loved! He accepted me! Hahahahaha!"

"Choromatsu, please! Snap out of it!" Jyushimatsu desperately called out to the Water Spirit, who just lost his sanity.

"...Jyushimatsu?" Choromatsu giggled, screaming and wailing. "Jyushimatsu! Jyushimatsu! Jyushimatsu! Jyushijyushijyushi! Hahahahahahaha!"

He grabbed Jyushimatsu's wings, plucked some feathers from it─causing the Angel to scream in pain.

"AAAAAAHHHH!"

"JYUSHIMATSU! JYUUUUSHIMAAAAAATSU!"

In a swift movement, Ichimatsu knocked Choromatsu out by tapping on his head. The terrified Jyushimatsu quickly clung to the Reaper's arms.

"It's hopeless...he's not in a state we can reason with him." Ichimatsu muttered darkly. "We have to do something about him."

"What should we do? Ichimatsu? What should we do?" The Angel sobbed.

"...Ichimatsu...is it...?" A weak voice came out of Choromatsu's mouth, startled both Ichimatsu and Jyushimatsu.

"Choromatsu? Is it you?" The Reaper cautiously asked, hiding Jyushimatsu behind his back.

"...call...the Devil..." The Water Spirit spoke, before his limp body slowly drowned into the deep black water of the corrupted lake. "...the pact...Jyushimatsu...I'm sor...ry..."


Their faces keeps appearing in my dreams─as if they're mocking me, blaming me for their deaths.

I'm sorry.

No matter how many times I uttered those words, they keep coming at me. Slowly, their faces became so blurred that I was unable to recognize them anymore.

Look at me, my brothers. I have become a demon for your sake. I have killed lots of people to appease your thirst for vengeance.

Even so, why are these tears keep falling from my eyes?

Oh, wait. They aren't tears─they are blood.


In the moonless night, the Angel rushed to the town. Hiding his pair of bleeding wings under a robe, he desperately sought help from the former priest Karamatsu.

Hearing the door knocked so frantically in the middle of the night, the innkeeper and his wife grumbled. "Who's that freak? Banging on our door in this hour..."

As the door opened, Jyushimatsu loudly screamed for help.

"MISTER PRIEST! PLEASE, PLEASE HELP MEEE!"

"What is it?! Why are you so loud─eh?! You're the Ange─" Karamatsu quickly closed his own mouth, nearly spoiled Jyushimatsu's true identity.

"What's with this commotion?!" The innkeeper protested, stared at Karamatsu angrily. "Do you know this man, Sir?! Please tell him to keep it down a little!"

"Y─yes, he's an acquaintance of mine. I'm really sorry for the trouble, Sir. We'll be heading out. Please take care of Todomatsu for me, Ma'am."

Karamatsu snatched his robe, walked out of the town with Jyushimatsu's guidance.

"What is going on right now, Angel?" Karamatsu asked, worried about Jyushimatsu's sobbing.

"Please help my friend...he's a water spirit that guards the lake inside this forest..." The Angel grabbed Karamatsu's sweaty hands. "He's been corrupted by a demon..."

"Demon?! Surely, it wasn't the same devil that threatened to kidnap Todomatsu, right?"

"I don't know...I don't know! Mister Priest, please save Choromatsu!"


Late at night, the Devil whistled happily. When he was heading to the red-light district, he was intercepted by a familiar figure. It was a man clad in black robe, sharply gazing at him.

"Good evening, buddy! Long time no see!" The Devil cheerfully greeted the man. "How's it going with that Angel? Have you two fucked already? Heheheheh...what kind of occasion brings you here?"

"...what did you do to Choromatsu?" The Reaper growled. "Don't lie or act stupid, I know...it was you who did it to him."

"Huh? Choro-who? Oh, you mean that Water Spirit? What's with him?"

Ichimatsu gritted his teeth, suppressed his urge to punch the Devil in the face.

"This afternoon, I saw the lake's water turned pitch black. And the flowers surrounding it...they all wilted and dried. And Choromatsu...he...he changed..."

The Devil laughed in disbelief. "Changed? Heh, what do you mean, 'changed'? Did he turned Super Saiyan or what?!"

"IT'S YOUR FAULT!" Ichimatsu suddenly screamed, swinging his scythe to the Devil with rage. "HE'S A MONSTER NOW, BECAUSE OF YOUR PACT!"

"You found it out? Great! Bingo for you, Reaper!" The Devil laughed. "I deliberately forced him into a pact for this very reason, you know?!"

The Devil kicked grains of dirt to Ichimatsu's eyes, who flailed angrily. "THAT'S RIGHT! I CORRUPTED HIM! I WANT TO MAKE HIM MINE, AND MINE ONLY! I WANT TO MAKE HIM A DEMON, SAME AS THE MAGNIFICENT ME!"

"You really are an idiot!" Ichimatsu spat. "CHOROMATSU IS DYING RIGHT NOW!"

The Reaper's words shook the Devil greatly. It wasn't his intention to kill Choromatsu at all.

"...dying? Heheheheh...you're lying...there's no way that Water Spirit would die from the corruption I spread─"

"THEN GO TO THE LAKE RIGHT NOW! SEE IT FOR YOURSELF, YOU FILTHY DEVIL!" Swinging his scythe wildly, Ichimatsu yelled. "YOU MURDERER!"

The Devil swung his punch to the Reaper's face, slamming him down to the ground. With intense hatred reflected from his voice, he yelled back at the Reaper.

"DON'T CALL ME A MURDERER!"

The Devil disappeared from sight, leaving only a whiff of black smoke hanging in the air.


YOU MURDERER!

They keep screaming those words at me. They keep pointing their fingers at me, blaming me for my sins.

My unforgivable sins.

No, no, no. That's not what I meant.

I stole for your sake. I killed for your sake. I became a demon for your sake.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to kill you all.

No matter how many times I uttered those words, they keep coming at me.

"Big Brother."

Admist the painful words, I heard one clear, pure voice. It was you, was it?

Then, I saw him─wearing a green robe, sharing the very same face with that damned water spirit─my dearest, dearest Third Brother.

Are you going to chew at me? Are you going to nag about how incompetent I am? Or are you going to blame me for your death, just as the others did to me?

It doesn't matter to me anymore. I've lost everything since I lost all of you.

I deserved it.

"Don't cry."

I gasped, looking up to his face. He was wearing the very same face with that damned water spirit─foolishly honest and pained.

"Don't cry, Big Brother."

How can I not cry? Tell me. Please, tell me...

...Choromatsu.